The Growing Experience is an urban farm in North Long Beach that aids the undeserved communities nearby.
Founded in 1996, the Growing Experience seeks to educate the community on sustainable and ethical food cultivation.
Their youth programs along with many other activities allow for community engagement and therefore reach as many people as possible.
For just $100 anyone can reserve a raised garden bed and grow their own produce.
In exchange for $100, one can donate 10 volunteer hours.
The Growing Experience is led by program manager Holly Carpenter who has worked for the Growing Experience since 2015 and oversees operations, special programs, social media, and grant-funded projects.
This urban farm grows fresh and healthy foods for the community while simultaneously educating on the importance of water-saving methods like drip irrigation and aquaponics.
All the proceeds earned from selling their fresh produce fund many community engagement activities such as the Youth Program, and the Juvenile Justice and Crime Prevention Act Program.
The Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act Program serves the community’s at-risk children and teens in an attempt to curb crime.
In the program, participants learn about agriculture, ecology, and sustainability as well as maintaining their own raised garden bed.
Long Beach City College, a partner with the Growing Experience and College to Career (C2C) program, are able to get hands-on experience for the horticulture program offered at LBCC.
In a time where convenience and speed are valued, Growing Experience shows the community the importance of organic, healthy food.
Gyms all around the USA have closed down to prevent the spread of COVID-19, impacting both professional athletes and gym-goers alike.
For some, this has caused real distress.
Exercise is known to be very therapeutic for mental health. Since gyms have been closed, some athletes have experienced an increase in anxiety and stress, especially during an epidemic.
Whittier student Jaydon Wagner said, “Well, with gyms closed, I’m very sad about it. Working out is one of my favorite things to do. It’s my biggest hobby. With the gym closed I feel a little stressed out and have a little more anxiety. The gym was a way I could escape and go against my problems. Now I sometimes feel like there’s nothing to do with the gym closed.”
Not only are gyms closings impacting many people’s mental health, but closing could have a huge impact when it comes to bodybuilders and powerlifters not being able to workout, whose competitions have been canceled.
Powerlifter Ray John Rivera said, “I was devastated when they first closed the gyms. It was my place of zen and peace. Whenever I felt troubled or depressed I would go to the gym.”
“I can’t speak for everyone but this time can be used to find new things about yourself and get better at other things. Maybe stretch more or do light workouts that you normally don’t do at the gym to work the smaller muscles never used,” Rivera said.
Not only are gym closures impacting people’s daily routines, causing stress and anxiety, but they are also affecting people’s personal incomes.
For personal trainers who normally train at a gym and need equipment for their clients, the closure of gyms is also going to have a huge impact.
A personal trainer, Alexus Amezquita said, “I understand why the gym is closed. Part of me is upset but we also need to keep practicing social distancing. At my training facility, we have over 50 trainers and they bring their clients so the area gets very packed at times.”
“The majority of the time I enjoy being around other personal trainers and being at home has affected me a lot.”
The Long Beach community has mostly been understanding about gym closures and is adapting to working out at home.
Instead, individuals have been purchasing home workout equipment.
Currently, Walmart is sold out, Amazon has several items sold out, along with Target and many other stores.
Gym goers are simply trying to stay focused on their goals and mental health, just from home now.
Whether you’re new to video games or haven’t had time to play in a while, here are the top 8 games that you need to be playing during quarantine.
8) One of the most awaited games of 2019, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.
This game came out on Oct. 25, 2019 and has taken itself back to its roots with more realistic military shooting.
Compared to prior years where developers went futuristic, advanced mobility mechanic are finally retired.
The campaign for Call of Duty is similar to the original but reimagined, as it starts off in Urzikstan with a war happening between the United States and United Kingdom, the Russian occupiers of Urzikstan and the terrorist group known as Al Qatala.
The campaign has many twists and turns but the coolest part is the stunning graphics creating lifelike characters and intense gameplay.
We can’t talk Call of Duty without talking about the changes to their multiplayer.
The first to note is the realistic approach they’ve done with ballistics and recoil.
They’ve also added the ability to mount your gun anywhere and multiplayer maps that sometimes require reading with night vision goggles.
All of this amazing work earned Call of Duty: Modern Warfare the award for Audio Design for 2019 from The Game Awards, as well as nominations for Action, Mobile Game, and Multiplayer awards.
7) Gears 5, released on Sept. 10, 2019.
If you like video games with amazing storylines, beautiful graphics and awesome gunplay, look no further.
The Gears series is one of Xbox’s most successful installments if not, the most successful installment following Halo.
Gears 5 is a third-person shooter, action-adventure game with co-op capability.
The game starts following the events of Gears of War 4, as characters Kait, Marcus and Del are reinstated into the army and refashioned as the new Delta Squad.
The storyline follows as their government starts to become more authoritarian and fascist and their fight against it, and unlike the older Gears games where the story follows Marcus Fenix, you follow the storyline of Kait Daiz.
“The Gears of War series has been uncompromising in its apocalyptic vision, holding the line with the same cover-based shooting, gruff armor-clad heroes, and wealth of multiplayer modes in all of its installments,” Game Informer Magazine reported.
The game earned a 8.8 campaign score and a 9 in multiplayer from Imagine Games Network (IGN).
6) Apex Legends, which came out Feb. 4, 2019.
Apex Legends is a battle-royal game that stands out in the community because of eight enjoyable characters that bring the game to life.
Each character has distinct abilities that are assets in battle, like Lifeline who is a combat healer and Caustic who is a tank mainly with poison and gas attacks to opponents.
With heavy character playstyle and loads of team based features, it is easy to tell why people constantly come back for more.
Apex Legends has exploded into popularity earning itself the title of Best Multiplayer Game of the Year 2019, as well as being nominated for Community Support, Ongoing, and Action Game awards from The Game Awards.
5) Fire Emblem: Three Houses.
As a huge release for the Nintendo Switch on July 26, 2019, Fire Emblem is a turn-based strategy game with amazing character storylines and beautiful battle gameplay that immerses you into their world.
The storyline follows students as they are separated into three houses to fight battles for a militarized church against blasphemers.
This breaks the storyline into three separate stories, almost as if gamers are playing three separate games.
There is a fourth secret storyline that gamers can unlock as well.
The three houses are Blue Lions, Black Eagles, and Golden Deer which hosts a variety of exciting characters that you get to know throughout the game.
IGN stated in a review, “The story of Three Houses is expertly woven into the world it builds up: one that’s full of political intrigue, deception, and even religious dogma.”
The game earned the Strategy Award from The Game Awards.
4) Dreams, created by Media Molecule, the same developer as LittleBigPlanet.
Everyone’s favorite aspect of LittleBigPlanet is the create option allowing you to have more control over your gameplay for the first time and Dreams expands on that.
This game was released on Feb. 14, 2020 and was under the radar, but is one that gamers must check out.
Dreams builds upon the concept LittleBigPlanet started and removes any limitations.
Dreams allows you to create your own games even if you know nothing about graphic design or game development.
Not only does it allow you to create your own games, but it also lets you play creations that other gamers have made too.
Now don’t get me wrong, gamers still must commit a good amount of time learning how the controls and foundation of the game work, but it’s understandable so even novices can quickly pick up and play or create.
Game Informer said, “Dreams is an idealistic vision of game development, where people create, collaborate, and share games purely for the love of gaming. No Dreams game may ever reach the polish of a triple-A title, but they also lack the cynical business side of game development, where test groups and microtransactions take precedence over unbridled creativity.”
Dreams received a 9.5 on Game Informer’s review scale.
3) The Outer Worlds, released on Oct. 25, 2019.
If you love Fallout and thoroughly enjoyed Fallout: New Vegas then you will love The Outer Worlds.
This game remained under the radar for a couple months after its release due to other exciting launches like Call of Duty.
However, this game is a must-play.
Despite it remaining under the radar it managed to get nominations for Game of the Year, Narrative, and Role-Playing Games awards.
This game was released from Obsidian so there is no doubt that there was going to be Fallout comparisons, but this game proved to be much more.
The Outer Worlds starts off on the Unreliable spaceship, requiring gamers to captain and build their crew to help the collapsing colonies.
This game gives freedom unlike many games that don’t have someone to guide players throughout the game.
Recruiting misfits along the way helps significantly, as gamers are left to fend for themselves.
Most of the fun in this game is the dialogue sequences.
Depending on gamers’ answers in sequences, changes affect gameplay or the scenario.
This also changes different stats and how people perceive your character, as players can play the empathetic hero, the heartless mercenary or whoever you want to be in the game.
Additionally, this allows gamers to play over and over again and always have a different outcome.
“The Outer Worlds finds brilliant and fun ways to blend signature aspects of well-known series like Fallout and Mass Effect; it is a space adventure featuring a likable cast and an irreverent-yet-dangerous frontier, with entertaining gameplay bridging the gaps,” Game Informer reported.
2) Resident Evil 2, released on Jan. 25 2019.
If you love heart-pounding zombie games you will love Resident Evil 2. The game is a remake of the original that came out on Jan. 21, 1998, meaning there were a lot of changes from the original such as the graphics which are significantly more impressive.
The updated atmosphere of the game makes walking down an empty hallway much more eerie and terrifying.
The story follows rookie cops Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield in Raccoon City during an outbreak caused by a bio weapon known as T-Virus.
Players fight through hordes of zombies by scraping by with healing objects and ammo which is harder than one thinks.
The storyline follows an investigation of the Umbrella corporation, suspected to be behind the bio-weapon.
With tons of twist and turns mixed in with horrifying fight-to-survive gameplay, gamers won’t want to put the controller down.
The game earned nominations from The Game Awards for Game of the Year, Action/Adventure Game, Audio Design, and Game Direction awards.
IGN said, “Now, instead of pixelated characters running from pre-rendered background to pre-rendered background, Resident Evil 2 is a fully 3D, over-the-shoulder affair with atmospheric lighting effects, impressive facial animations, and the best-looking zombies I’ve ever seen in a game.”
1) Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, released on March 22, 2019.
Sekiro didn’t only win one award, but two for Game of the Year and Action/Adventure Games.
On top of the awards, the game was also nominated for the awards Art Direction, Audio Design, and Game Direction.
Inspired by Dark Souls and Bloodbourne, Sekiro is a force to be reckoned with.
The storyline takes place in 16th-century Japan, known as the Sengoku period, a time plagued by constant warfare.
The main character is known as the “one-armed wolf” who swore his life to protect an ancient bloodline.
Although realistic inspiration was used, a large number of bosses within the game are fantastical creatures such as ogres or fences, which are evil spirits.
The strategy and time this game takes to complete is immense, but it is one of the most satisfying games to play making it a number one binge-worthy game during quarantine.
IGN said, “Sekiro evolves From Software’s formula into a stylish stealth-action adventure that, naturally, emphasizes precision and skill in its combat. It walks the line between deliberate and patient stealth and breakneck melee combat against threats both earthly and otherworldly.”
Long Beach City College has experienced quite a transformation through it’s years and Nick Carbonaro, Camille Bolton, and Brian Garcia, all former LBCC students who have returned as employees, have witnessed some of the changes to the school currently accommodating 24,000 students.
From new social services to changes in original architecture from its founding in 1927, LBCC continues to adapt to meet the needs of its ever-evolving student body.
For Bolton and Carbonaro, their experiences at LBCC began as children, watching their fathers as teachers and before they were old enough to enroll, their connections to the college were already solidified.
Public Relations Coordinator Camille Bolton attended as a journalism major from fall of 1985 to spring of 1988 and always considered LBCC to be part of her plan.
“I always knew I wanted to come here, because my dad was a teacher here. I had really good memories of being here when I was younger, getting to be somewhere where my dad was, was kind of cool. He’d be recognized around town, and people would tell me, ‘your dad was such a good teacher.’ He had an impact on people, and I’d be like, ‘wow, that’s my dad,’” Bolton said.
“I was 16 when I graduated high school. I skipped two grades… So I didn’t ever really feel like I fit in anywhere, so I felt like I could start fresh here. I got really involved in the Viking [News] and ASB, and I felt at home. At sixteen, I knew I wasn’t ready for a university. It was a tough transfer, because I was so attached here.”
Business professor Nick Carbonaro, who attended LBCC from 2004-2006, then returned to finish his A.A in 2008 after graduating from USC, experienced a similar connection to LBCC since childhood.
Business professor Nick Carbonaro reflected on his time both as a student and a professor at LBCC during an interview on Feb. 24. Photo by Tess Kazenoff.
“I was born and raised around here,” Carbonaro said, “My dad works here as well. He went to school here, he met my mom here and my grandmother worked on campus sometimes. It’s like a second home.”
Carbonaro was always aware of the value that an education at LBCC would give him, despite influences from his high school environment.
“It was expected for you to transfer out to a major university. My high school counselors hated me because I brought their numbers down,” Carbonaro said.
English professor Brian Garcia, who attended from 1999 on and off until transferring in 2004, didn’t have his path as clearly defined for him.
“For me, it was really aimless,” he said of his initial college experience. “Part of that was a lack of guidance. I was kind of unfocused. I was a first generation student and I didn’t really know what I was doing, or what questions to ask if I needed advice, so it took me a really long time, and I dropped out for a while, and was kind of back and forth,” Garcia said.
Garcia did not consider himself very active on campus during his time as a student, but attributed clarifying his path to some of his previous teachers.
“In classes, I liked writing and literature, and I had really good teachers and I found pretty quickly that not only was it something I was pretty good at but there were people who’d foster that curiosity and challenge me in a way that I didn’t necessarily feel in other environments.”
Garcia, who was hired at LBCC in 2016, uses this experience to better serve his students, keeping in mind the professors that motivated him.
“I have a better appreciation of the professors that did help me when I was a student. I appreciated them helping me then, but then I didn’t realize how much of an extra step it sometimes was. It would’ve been really easy for some of them to just let me pass through, and it wouldn’t have been anything against them. But some of them did see potential and guided me, some told me when I needed to follow through better. As a teacher I appreciate that more,” Garcia said.
Carbonaro’s view of teaching has also changed since his return to campus as a teacher in 2013, originally as an emergency substitute hire.
“You really appreciate [the teachers] more. You see the hours that go into it. Before you see them as a teacher assigning homework, and now you’re one of them,” Carbonaro said.
Bolton talked about her outlook from student to teacher at LBCC.
Public relations coordinator Camille Bolton has numerous items from her time as a student at LBCC displayed in her office, including various photo albums, certificates of achievement and newspaper clippings. Photo by Tess Kazenoff.
“I’ve always said about this place, you can make it whatever you want. We have something for everybody. You can be an A student and you can get challenged academically if you choose, and you can be somebody who’s looking around, not sure what they want to do. You can be as active as you want, or as inactive as you want, and you’re still going to get through. You have to make the time to make that connection. But we’re all here, we all just want to help,” she said.
Garcia added, “I’ve found that my colleagues really do try to lift up their students. I like that as a goal. I like that as a working environment, and something to strive for. I’m working to make it more accessible . . . We’re not only catering to a uniform population.”
Over the years, the campus has modernized, improving the infrastructure and curriculum.
“The campus has changed and became way more beautified,” Carbonaro said and reflected on the changes in the past years, “There were rabbits that would make holes that people would trip over all the time, and there was a hawk problem. There was this hawk that would circle around and snatch rabbits all day.”
“Of course, technology has also rapidly developed in recent years, altering classroom environments from previous years,” Carbonaro said and put this into perspective, “In 2004, there was no Facebook. I was one of the only students in class in 2004 to have a laptop to take notes. And now, I have a laptop cart for my classroom, so all my students are required to have a laptop in front of them.”
Carbonaro aims to connect to a continuously evolving generation through utilizing technology in his classroom, also emphasizing social media as a necessary step in many career paths nowadays.
Bolton talked about her experience in the journalism program as a student at LBCC.
“My major was journalism. We were there at a pivotal time. We saw the very first Apple machine, a computer, the very first semester with a computer. We typed up on this little machine, it was a hysterical little thing. It’s amazing how things have changed with that,” Bolton said.
Curriculum shifts have also reflected a change in societal needs, as Garcia said that he would love for there to be a greater emphasis on literature in regards to curriculum.
“But that also requires kind of a shift in the culture of the whole country,” Garcia said, “Literature is more and more becoming something seen as frivolous, kind of like a luxury rather than part of a well-rounded education. You see this on the emphasis of STEM education.”
“We need [STEM education] honestly, and I wish I’d paid more attention to that stuff when I was younger, but a strict emphasis on STEM with no complement of the humanities and critical thinking is actually kind of dangerous… I would like to see education get to a place where we do a better job of balancing those aspects of education rather than treating them as if they are in competition with one another. Right now, it feels that way, with fighting for resources.”
English professor Brian Garcia looks through one of his books that he keeps during his office during a Feb. 25 interview. He comments on the notes that he took earlier on in his education, and how his observations have developed over the years. Photo by Tess Kazenoff.
Garcia attributed this trend in education towards the current culture and pressure towards getting a job.
“It is by necessity, but I’d like to see a shift over my career. [As a student] I didn’t feel like there was as much pressure on instructors to push us through. I’d never advise a student to be as aimless as I was, but it was also kind of nice to be able to experiment. I feel like it would be really stressful for a student to do that now. There’s a lot more pressure on students to know what you’re gonna do, and get through it, and start your career now, start saving up money,” Garcia said.
In 1993, when Bolton was asked to come back originally as a limited term employee, she was immediately interested.
“My dad had always said, working at LBCC was the best job you could ever have. He loved his time teaching here. Students are here by choice. They wanted to learn. They wanted to better themselves. Oftentimes at university, teachers are more concerned with publishing and research and can’t devote themselves to their craft of teaching. The teachers have to love their subject here, and their students. Community college students are here because they want to be.”
And for students, LBCC has adapted to better meet the ever-changing needs of its population over the years.
“We’ve become much more of a social service, we are worrying about students’ food and shelter and clothing, and mental health,” Bolton said.
“Now we talk about it a lot more and we deal with it. We’re trying to find so many more ways to reach out and find out what the root is, and how we can help,” she continued, “The college has done very well at trying to embrace that. Before it was a lot more just about the classroom and teaching the subject. We’ve become much more aware of the external factors that are affecting our students.”
Garcia expanded on this sentiment.
“I do think that the focus on helping students achieve their goals has been refined. There’s consideration for various circumstances that students are in. Maybe they’re just general trends in education, like focus on equity,” he said.
Garcia explained certain circumstances have forced the institution to adapt, as an example, compared to his time as a student there are far more veteran students now who may have different needs and challenges.
“I think they’ve done a pretty good job of trying to make campus accessible to everybody,” Garcia said, “LBCC is more welcoming to students who are having a hard time being students, than a lot of places I’ve worked… The idea that you’d have a significant amount of homeless students would be something that have intimidated a lot of teachers, but here it’s something we’re ready to deal with.”
Carbonaro reminisced about the judgment he experienced as a high school student considering community college and how counselors discouraged attending LBCC.
“I knew so many students in my high school that settled and wanted to go to a prestigious school, but couldn’t get in, so settled for another school. They could’ve come here, brought their grades up and gone to that dream school.”
Carbonaro said luckily, the public perception of community college has become more positive over the years.
“My old high school that was so nose up about going to Harvard or Brown, they reached out to me two years ago and asked me to talk to our juniors and seniors and be on our career panel. It’s not as frowned upon now to go to a community college as it was then. There’s the push of community college being the first choice, instead of a backup choice.”
Bolton talked about how LBCC has positively shaped her life, her hopes of keeping the Viking spirit strong and strengthening LBCC’s alumni base for future generations.
Public relations coordinator Camille Bolton discusses the impact that LBCC has had on her life in its entirety. She displays a newspaper clipping from her time at LBCC on Feb. 26. Photo by Tess Kazenoff
“I met my very best friend here– we were on the Viking together. We were at each other’s weddings. I was there for 2 of her 3 kids being born, and we still see each other,” Bolton said.
“Everything good that happened in my life has basically happened here. My little girl, almost 25, took her very first steps here, over by the quad. Time with my dad here, time with my daughter here, I met my partner here, he works here. It’s my life,” Bolton said.
Garcia expressed his gratitude for his job at LBCC and his hopes for the future.
“You have bad days at work… I take a step back and realize my job is essentially to read books with groups of people and talk about those books, and help them write about what they’ve read. It’s really nice. My goal is for this to be the last job I ever have.”
Carbonaro shared his passion for LBCC in every aspect of his life.
“My son wants to be in my class right now… I’m like, ‘You’re in kindergarten. You’ve got a long time to go.’ But the community aspect of it, going to football games, going to basketball games, seeing people you know, not only as a student but now as a professor, and seeing my own students in the city is really full circle, which is really cool… I love this school, I really do. I don’t see myself leaving here at all.”
For some, LBCC is just part of the pathway towards a future career and for others, it has set the scene for pivotal moments, shaping their education and lives so much that they’ve returned.
For Nick Carbonaro, Camille Bolton, and Brian Garcia LBCC catapulted their educational and professional careers, ultimately bringing them back full circle as LBCC employees.
What lights up for you when you flip through the Netflix jewelry box? What special interest if any peaks your curiosity and makes you want to go back and watch it again?
Speaking for myself, I often get frustrated with the overload of violent serial killer flicks, dystopian visions, social collapse, overacted and overwhelming super macho crime thrillers, and sexually overloaded “adult” romances.
On the other hand, I’m often surprised by the selection of small, modest, but deeply-focused plots with good stories that are issue-driven, emotionally involving, and dealing with relationships, within a small but no less ambitious frame of individual predicament.
These films deal with human problems that pique interest with compassionate tales about love, hate, isolation, estrangement and unfulfilled need.
To me, these movies are remarkable and significant in their own modest way, not only because of their purity but because of their rarity. At some level, they are a welcome relief after watching another massive alien catastrophe or some dystopian nightmare, or a cynical, hard-hitting over-the-top crime drama or political conspiracy.
I took a walk through the campus, shortly before the shutdown, and asked some students what they thought about Netflix and its post-video store marketplace. As a 75-year-old dispossessed video store junkie, I wondered: Did any of them notice that among hard-hitters like “The Joker,” “Ford v. Ferrari” and “Parasite,” there were also deeply felt works like the Judy Garland bio or an intimate, funny and engaging look at an unsteady coupling like “The Marriage Story”?
Had they ever seen “Mr. Roberts,” “Sweet Smell of Success” or that pioneering sci-fi outer space romance 20 years ahead of its time, “Forbidden Planet,” each in its own way filled with remarkable writing, directing, and acting?
LBCC nursing student Radeen Lopez likes “The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez,” “Freedom Riders,” and “Criminal Minds.”
Caitlin Chin, also enrolled in nursing, said, “I like documentaries, ‘rom coms’, and childhood dramas.” Among the comedies were “Step Brothers,” “10 Things I Hate About You,” and “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.”
Paige Fukuhara, a zoology major, talked about how she enjoyed action thrillers, documentaries and named three favorites, “Insidious,” “Blue Planet” and “Bad Boys.”
Ken Gentile, retiree film arts major and ardent film student of long-standing with a professional background, mentioned the series “Longmire,” a crime Western series set in modern Absaroka County, Wyo., “Orange is the New Black,” and “Breaking Bad.”
Ellie Campos, a first-semester future RN says, “I like ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ and shows that deal with parental issues.”
Larraine Blorein, a counselor and faculty member says, “I enjoy documentaries and autobiographies.”
Aiissha Goldmas, a student and mom who is majoring in early child development, watches cartoons with her child. She feels that the selection needs better rotation and a better selection. They also watch stand-up comedy shows.
Nora Sweeney, an instructor in the film department, weighed in on the subject. “Yes, there are many films that are underrated or just simply bad on Netflix. It’s hard to find a good film there.
“Kanopy.com is a much better platform. It has many classic films and it is free through the LA Public library. (https://www.lapl.org/kanopy) There are still a few video rental shops too – Cinefile in West LA (https://www.cinefilevideo.com/) and VIDÉOTHÈQUE in South Pasadena: http://www.vidtheque.com/.”
Here are three Netflix jewels that I think you should watch, “Carrie Pilby” has to do with a 19-year old genius recently graduated from Harvard, alone in New York City trying to decide between books and boyfriends.
“Tinker.” A lonely, eccentric scientist at work on a government project involving Tesla dynamics aimed at improving crop growth, inherits a young, inquisitive orphaned nephew, and a deep affection grows between them from their mutual fascination with how things work.
“5 to 7.” An aspiring but unpublished novelist, an American from a strict New England background, falls in love with a beautiful, slightly older Frenchwoman who is happily married with three children. They agree to meet every Thursday between 5 and 7 pm. Complications arise when her open-minded husband approves of the relationship.
When a deadly virus quarantines students for several weeks, limiting our resources by closing down both our school and community libraries, a degree starts to seem unattainable for students who are on the edge, and the idea of access to education for any who acquire knowledge, seems like a cherished opportunity of the past.
As textbooks sit and collect the contaminated dust we are trying to get rid of, students who utilized the LBCC library to check out a textbook as they work in the library for the day, have to resort to bedside studying. The routine of coffee, the library, and then class is no more, leaving us faced with challenges that require financially inconvenient solutions of buying and installing Wi-Fi, or even depending on unreliable cellular hotspot services.
Teachers have to measure if they’re challenging students intellectually or challenging their access to resources. Students have to overcome the anxiety built from an overwhelming and ambiguous situation.
Student workers and faculty staff who made services possible and resources accessible at LBCC have always been appreciated, but their presence is a necessity. We must find a way to sanitize and clean our libraries frequently and get healthy individuals to work.
Our Long Beach community has built libraries that have motivated people to broaden their education, use their imagination, and offered access to services that include resume building and English classes for Latinos. People have voted at the library, volunteered to read to children, and of course checked out the many, many knowledge and adventure-filled books.
As Long Beach public libraries refuse to accommodate the community and simply make limitations to the schedule of the libraries, rather than the complete shutdown of all library locations, they force people to put their interests in books on halt. There is a certain responsibility that is in the hands of the public libraries to allow access to books and Wi-Fi, even during this time.
As I look back on how many times I have ventured to the library to find a book that I have heard great reviews about, I can’t help but feel sorrow to know that I can’t catch the metro to the still very new Billie Jean King Main Library located in downtown Long Beach and check out the exact book I’ve been waiting for. Or even, do what “they” say not to do, and judge a book by its cover. Or find my way to the urban section for a read by great African-American authors.
Families depend on the access to books to read to their children. Weeks can feel like years to the families that valued that time to be proactive. Taking away the access to libraries is more than taking away a day of fun, it’s taking away books and discovery that can only be tapped into by picking up a book.
The consequences of this nation-wide pandemic has created a great burden for the Long Beach community, and we aren’t exactly sure for how long.
The strategic planning of getting our libraries on a schedule to open, if even for a few hours a day and only to check out books, would be worth it.
Every day I pass by the eminent Michelle Obama Library, and think to myself, if I was to find my way down those dull aisles and borrow a book during this time, would our former first lady be mad? Is it really stealing? Who do these books really belong to?
After this thought, I can laugh. The bigger picture revolves around the question, “Have we put enough thought and effort into allowing for people to safely access a sanitary library before we closed and chained the doors?”
Two weeks into business shut-downs, school closures, and social distancing due to COVID-19, beaches officially closed to the public on March 27.
In an announcement from Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia, “While many have been practicing social distancing and adjusting their daily routines, we continue to see the gathering of groups on our public beaches. It is critical that we continue to take swift action as we work together to do the right thing and address this public health crisis.”
The ordinance included all beach, bike, and pedestrian paths, as per the state’s “Stay at Home” order and the city’s “Safer at Home” order.
This was an amendment to the March 24 announcement, closing beach parking lots through April 19.
Beach closures are currently until May 1.
“Seriously people, you need to practice social distancing. I am seeing tons of people out there acting like there’s no crisis. You could be carrying the virus, have no symptoms, and be responsible for the illness or worse of others,” Garcia tweeted on March 24.
As of April 5, 15 new cases have been reported in Long Beach, bringing the total up to 213, according to the Press-Telegram.
Beach lots across Long Beach closed on March 24 in an effort to follow the “Stay at Home” order due to coronavirus. Photo by Tess Kazenoff
Beach pathways were relatively empty around Belmont Shore Beach on March 29, two days after beaches were officially closed by Mayor Robert Garcia. Photo by Tess Kazenoff
Public restrooms at Rosie’s Dog Beach were closed to the public in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, in a photo taken March 29. Photo by Tess Kazenoff
This note from an anonymous person is taped to the door of a public restroom at Rosie’s Dog Beach on March 29. Photo by Tess Kazenoff
A normally busy parking lot is noticeably empty at Rosie’s Dog Beach on March 29, two days after the beach’s closure due to the pandemic. Photo by Tess Kazenoff
On March 29, two days after Mayor Robert Garcia officially closed Long Beach’s beaches to the public, people are still walking along the pathways of Rosie’s Dog Beach. A sign reading “maintain social distancing” indicates CDC regulations due to COVID-19, recommending people stand at least six feet apart from each other. Photo by Tess Kazenoff
Charging stations have been closed and blocked off in a parking lot in Belmont Shore Beach, following the lot’s closure due to coronavirus on March 24. Photo by Tess Kazenoff
Parking lots throughout Long Beach’s beaches have been closed to the public, as of March 24, following the guidelines of the “Stay at Home” order due to coronavirus. Photo by Tess Kazenoff
The Belmont Pool’s doors have been closed due to coronavirus. Photo by Tess Kazenoff
Belmont Pool in Long Beach is closed amidst the pandemic that has ushered in a time of social distancing and quarantining. Photo by Tess Kazenoff
Caution tape adorns many of the signs along the pathways of Belmont Shore Beach on March 29. Photo by Tess Kazenoff
Many of the entrances into the beaches across Long Beach are visibly blocked off, due to the March 27 closures. Photo by Tess Kazenoff
Two masked visitors sit outside the closed Belmont Pool on March 29. Photo by Tess Kazenoff
Many stairways and entrances to Long Beach’s beaches have been blocked off with caution tape, visible on March 29. Photo by Tess Kazenoff
Caution tape is wrapped around numerous signs and lamp posts throughout the Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier, which had been entirely closed on March 24 due to social distancing being ignored. Photo by Tess Kazenoff
Caution tape rests over the empty bike parking rack on March 29 by Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier. The pier officially closed on March 24 to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Photo by Tess Kazenoff
The gates of the well-known Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier in Long Beach closed on March 24 to prevent the spread of coronavirus. A sign indicating its closure in Spanish is placed in front of the gate. Photo by Tess Kazenoff
Belmont Shore Beach is relatively empty on March 29, except for the occasional runner or biker, two days after its official closure. Photo by Tess Kazenoff
Despite Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier’s closure on March 24, a few people sit outside the locked gates on March 29. Photo by Tess Kazenoff
Caution tape is visibly placed throughout Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier, indicating its closure due to COVID-19 on March 29. Photo by Tess Kazenoff
A sign cautions others to “maintain social distancing,” while wrapped in caution tape on March 29. Photo by Tess Kazenoff
A normally busy pathway in Belmont Shore Beach is empty except fo the occasional runner or biker on March 29. Mayor Robert Garcia mandated official beach closures on March 27. Photo by Tess Kazenoff
An attempt to block off entrance ways at Belmont Shore Beach is visible on March 29. Photo by Tess Kazenoff
As an entranceway at Belmont Shore Beach is marked with caution tape, the occasional pedestrian can still be seen along the pathway on March 29. Photo by Tess Kazenoff
On March 30, three days after beaches were officially closed in Long Beach. Long Beach City Beach is relatively busy. As signs indicating social distancing are prevalent, people continue to pass each other on the narrow sidewalks, less than six feet apart. Photo by Tess Kazenoff
Even with bike and pedestrian paths officially closed on March 27, numerous people can be seen at Long Beach City Beach on March 30. Photo by Tess Kazenoff
Public lots along Long Beach’s beaches were closed on March 24, with the remainder of the beach areas following on March 27. A parking enforcement car can be seen in the back left, monitoring the parking lot for violators. Two bikers and a pedestrian can be seen along the closed pathways on March 30 at Long Beach City Beach. Photo by Tess Kazenoff
The entranceway into a parking lot at Long Beach City Beach is visibly blocked off on March 30. A parking enforcement car can be seen on the right, as the lots officially closed on March 24. Bikers and numerous other people can be seen still occupying the beach. Photo by Tess Kazenoff
Long Beach City Beach has been officially closed along with the rest of the city’s beaches, on March 27. This includes all public spaces such as basketball courts, visibly blocked off with caution tape on March 30. Photo by Tess Kazenoff
Amidst Long Beach’s beach closures on March 27 in accordance with the “Stay at Home” order, numerous people visited Long beach City Beach on March 30. Photo by Tess Kazenoff
As part of the state’s “Stay at Home” order and the city’s “Safer at Home” order, Long Beach’s beaches officially closed to the public March 27. Photo by Tess Kazenoff
As people continued to ignore social distancing, Mayor Garcia officially closed the beaches of Long Beach on March 27. Photo by Tess Kazenoff
The March 27 beach closures of Long Beach included all public spaces such as basketball courts, tennis courts, and workout equipment. Two men utilize the public workout equipment at Long Beach City Beach on March 30, amidst the caution tape and other noticeable barriers indicating its closure. A pedestrian walks by on the closed bike path. Photo by Tess Kazenoff
Following the closure of beach parking lots on March 24, people continued to ignore social distancing, leading to the full beach closures on March 27. Photo by Tess Kazenoff
Students lined up their cars Tuesday morning to pick up groceries at Long Beach City College’s weekly Viking Vault “Grab and Go” event.
This resource is available for students who have been affected by the COVID-19 outbreak and/or are struggling to secure groceries on a weekly basis.
Last week the Viking Vault provided 300 bags of groceries at both LAC and PCC.
The grocery bags included a box of cereal, almond milk, bread, peanut butter, jelly, string cheese, tuna fish, and a few other healthy choices.
If a student has a car available to them it is preferred that students come in their vehicle to pick up the groceries just like a drive-through, but not a problem whatsoever for those without cars.
This event is exclusive to LBCC, so students must bring a valid LBCC student ID.
According to Vice President of Student Services Mike Muñoz’s presentation at the Board of Trustees meeting March 25, the plan is to continue this weekly service to provide for students in need.
Students were provided with 184 bags of groceries at LAC and 150 at PCC. Both campuses had all grocery bags claimed by 12:30 p.m.
According to Dean of Student Affairs Dr. Alisia Kirkwood, many students have expressed that they have been laid off from work due to the COVID-19 outbreak, so these Viking Vaults are their main supplies of food for each week.
“For myself and Vice President Muñoz, we recognize that our Viking Vault food pantry is essential to how our students are getting their food for every week, so since they can’t come to campus we want to be able to provide them with the food they need,” Kirkwood said.
Follow @lbcc_healthyvikings on Instagram for more updates on time and location.
The Viking Vault is currently scheduled for today, April 7th from noon until supplies last, at LAC in parking lot G and PCC in parking lot 1.
WWE, also known as world wrestling entertainment, has been known to be one of the biggest sources of entertainment for audiences since its first arrival on television. WWE is also known as the show that always goes on no matter what circumstances.
For example, when wrestlers such as Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero passed away, they simply continued the show regardless and paid their respects.
Unfortunately, WWE is getting criticized by audiences at the moment, regarding all sports and entertainment being closed down due to the coronavirus. Sports such as NFL, XFL, NBA and so many others have been closed down due to the health of their athletes.
Fans have bashed the company for not caring about their wrestlers because they are still continuing their biggest show of the year, WrestleMania.
Several podcasters have claimed they don’t care about the health of their talent and only care about money. The former wrestler Ryback recently went on his podcast and bashed the company for not taking care of their talent and that they should simply close down until further notice.
Several wrestlers have been actually scared to compete in the ring because of the coronavirus. Roman Reigns who is actually a big name in WWE has backed out of competing at this year’s WrestleMania because he is scared for his health and is worried about catching the virus due to having leukemia in the past.
Unfortunately, Reigns backing out of the spotlight puts the company in hot water again due to the face of their company stepping away for the time being, while fans continue to bash the company, especially on Twitter.
Currently, WWE is performing with a live audience and performing in a small building in Florida to supposedly prevent people from being afraid and catching anything, but fans and wrestlers continue to worry.
Current Biola student Christian Munoz said, “I feel that WrestleMania should still continue, as the storylines for it must have a conclusion. It would have been better for them to pre-tape several of the matches/promos before everything got too dangerous, that way they would protect their talent. Although it would be different, it would still bring the entertainment that wrestling has been known to give since the early 1900s.”
Cypress college student Elizabeth Rojas disagreed, saying, “I don’t think they should perform at all and they should take care of their talent because the talent is more important than money.”
After analyzing the backlash and the comments made by these two students, WWE should ignore the backlash and continue to provide great entertainment for fans all around the world because their goal is to simply help people feel good in these hard times we are dealing with.
WWE has always continued their entertainment through every bad thing that has happened. For example, after September 11 WWE paid tribute and gave a beautiful live television message to everyone who lost their lives and tried their best to simply entertain viewers at home.
Unfortunately, WWE will continue to get backlash through this because fans are worried about the wrestlers. However, WWE has doctors and medical assistants there to make sure their talent is safe and healthy.
WWE should ask talents who feel unsafe to go home and try to do their best with the athletes who want to continue to perform.
Their main goal is to take care of their talent but also try to put on a good show to entertain others during these horrible events that are occurring.
Parking should be free on school campuses and refunds for permits should be issued.
In light of campus closures due to COVID-19, students who purchased parking permits should be issued refunds and Long Beach City College should no longer charge students for parking going forward.
Education inherently holds enough financial barriers and parking is just another hindrance to students that already may be struggling to attend college.
Community colleges in particular, as they are not residential, require students to transport themselves back and forth to campus.
If tuition is the cost of attending school, parking is yet another fee to actually be able to go to class.
Regarding where funds from parking permits are distributed, Coordinator of EHS and Parking Services Lubert Iglesia said, “The revenue from the parking permits goes to the parking fund that covers a portion of the expense of the day-to-day business operations of the Parking Service Department of the District.”
It should not be up to students to fund the business operations of the parking department.
As for those who purchased a parking permit for the Spring 2020 semester, considering the parking permits were only in use for one month, at least the remaining ¾ should be reimbursed, if not the entire amount.
According to Iglesia, the district is currently determining if refunds will be made to LBCC students.
However, for many students struggling financially, and even more so in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, a decision needs to be made soon.
As of March 20, Cal State Long Beach announced they would be issuing refunds to their students.
While $30 for each spring and fall session and $20 per summer and winter session may not seem as hefty as costs at other schools (for comparison, CSULB charged $155 for the 2019-2020 school year, and parking can be up to $500 a semester at USC), for students attending LBCC for multiple semesters, the cost adds up.
Community college is meant to serve as a more economical and attainable option, and charging for parking is counterintuitive to this purpose.
Especially considering the parking lots belong to the city of Long Beach, rather than LBCC (evidenced by the few tickets I received prior to purchasing a permit last semester) it can not be argued that the funds are going towards bettering the campus or another relevant purpose.
Charging for parking is taking advantage of students who have nowhere else to park.
For many students who have classes during peak hours at LAC, parking is often only available near the Veterans Stadium, which can be a 15-minute walk to campus buildings.
Perhaps an alternative would be only requiring a permit for one of the closer, smaller lots (which are usually full and have mostly staff parking), leaving parking in Veterans Stadium free.
Having to park ridiculously far from classes would be easier to tolerate if there was no cost, at least.
Furthermore, if it is impossible to completely eliminate parking fees, students that qualify should be able to waive them.
Out of the many possible fee waivers available to students, why are parking fees never addressed?
Parking is an unnecessary additional cost that students shouldn’t have to consider when evaluating their finances for college.
Considering permits are not even in use this semester, this is the perfect opportunity for LBCC to take a new step in how they handle parking.
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